DEVASTATED British Gas workers reacted with fury after they were told of plans to axe 2,000 jobs - half of them in Greater Manchester.

Union leaders said they would consider a strike ballot after the company admitted it was planning to transfer work to India.

The proposal to slash jobs - including 1,000 "back office" positions in Greater Manchester - were described as "completely unacceptable" by trade union Unison.

As part of a £430m overhaul of its operation, British Gas clerical work will now go to outside agencies in the UK and India.

Unison said it would mean the closure of offices in Gould Street in Manchester, Talbot Road in Trafford and at Higginshaw Lane, Oldham.

British Gas was forced to reveal the secret plans to workers at hurriedly arranged meetings after the Manchester Evening News made inquiries about the move.

When we contacted them on Wednesday an official spokesman said he had no knowledge of the proposals. Yesterday (Friday) he was forced to apologise and issue a full statement outlining the plans.

Steve Bloomfield, of the union Unison, said: "These job losses are completely unacceptable to the staff and Unison. We will fight this all the way and if our members want to be balloted for strike action then that is what we will do.

"No-one should be fooled that these saving will go towards reducing customers' bills or improving services."

Stunned

Stunned workers at the British Gas billing centre in Gould Street, Manchester, said they were told of the job losses in an announcement made shortly before lunchtime yesterday.

They were told that jobs were secure for the remainder of this year but not exactly when the closures would take place. Rumours are spreading, however, that the jobs will go in April .

One employee said: "Everybody was in a state of shock. There were people in tears, and even the bosses seemed emotional."

Another worker said: "People are just distraught. Many have been working here for years and years.

"The management have told us it is all down to economics, but British Gas made a lot of money last year, and we think it's just greed."

A spokesman for British Gas said: "We appreciate it's a difficult time for employees. We are still in discussions with the unions and we hope that those discussions will continue.

"It will obviously be a difficult time for the staff but we will try and re-deploy those affected, and we are recruiting 195 customer-facing staff in Old Trafford and Stockport."

Employees at the Oldham site were sent home yesterday lunchtime after being hit by the jobs bombshell.

One worker, who asked not to be named, said: "It's not a good mood in there. People are worried about the future. They don't know where they stand.

"Some people have been here more than 20 years and at least one has been here 35 years. I think everyone just wanted to get out of there today. They'd heard enough."